Businessman succumbed to torture injuries

Imtiaz Khan’s was a victim of the turf war between ‘Bhai’ Naseer and Maradu Aneesh, according to the city police.

Imtiaz Khan, a close associate of Naseer, was found murdered in his car parked outside Divine Home colony on December 28.

The police suspect that Imtiaz was tortured allegedly by Aneesh’s men to elicit information about Naseer’s whereabouts. The men did not intend to kill Imtiaz, but he succumbed to injuries suffered during torture, according to investigators.

Imtiaz’s murder has brought to the fore the ongoing gang war between the rival groups. A top police officer said prior to Imtiaz’s death, the police had received information that the rivalry would claim the lives of members of either group. But the force failed to prevent the murder.

Both Aneesh and Naseer are wanted in separate cases and are on the run. According to police sources, both of them started out as partners and took up ‘quotation’ assignments and had common areas of operation.

The two fell out after Aneesh’s associate Sinoj was killed by Tamil Nadu Police in a shootout at a lodge at Dindigul in March 2012 on a tip-off allegedly given by Naseer.

Sinoj was wanted in connection with the seizure of nearly 8,500 litres of spirit from Aluva.

Maradu Aneesh soon went into hiding after a case was registered against him in connection with the seizure of 1,200 litres of spirit from Kochukadavantra in 2009.

In 2009, Judicial First Class Magistrate I.A. Ijaz conducted a surprise check on Naseer who was lodged in the sub-jail here. Two mobile phones were recovered from his possession. The check was made after a fellow prisoner gave information about Naseer handling operations from his prison cell.

Following Imtiaz’s muder, the police are trying to find a link between other cases of turf war.